Best About Sports Sports Comic Book Top 25 FREE Series Copyright 2013 | 2nd Edition 2015 By Jim Sweeney The subject of sports always triggers debate. Pick a player, celebrate a team or remember a championship moment, regardless of the sport, and I guarantee that a lively discussion will quickly follow. Animated, verbal altercations about any athlete and team embroil sports fans everywhere and foster what I believe is Best About Sports. In a relative’s living room, at a neighborhood bar or around the office water cooler, the mere mention of a certain player or team will instantaneously ignite colorful conversation and more than likely ruffle some one’s feathers. Reference the New York Yankees & impassioned Boston Red Sox fans will be eager to engage in an animated verbal altercation. Criticize Kobe and Los Angeles Lakers lovers will immediately compare the Black Mamba to MJ as well as list Bryant along with Magic, Wilt, Kareem, Shaq and even Mikan in their long line of NBA titles. Praise the Pack and surely Steelers, Saints and Patriots faithful will some how seek to metaphorically kick you right in your Cheesehead. Wear a FC Barcelona jersey in public and you’ll quickly feel the glaring eyes of Manchester United hooligans lurking ominously nearby. Sports chatter stirs the embers of conversations from yesterday’s big game as well as from championship games played decades ago. Fans who can’t remember what they ate for lunch have amazing recollection of events on the ice, hardwood, pitch, end zone or home plate from decades back and always seek outlets to share their passion, opinions and angst. Plus, the fact that sports are universal is one of the things I truly find what’s best about sports! Sports transcends religion, cuts through cultural ties, eludes ethnicity, ignores bank account balances and fails to distinguish between sex, weight, age and even familial allegiance. Your team is your team. Not your dad’s, your sister’s or even that of your spouse. Your inalienable right as a sports fan is to root for whomever you want. Your choice may defy logic, strain family ties, break stereotypes and shatter urban myths, but it’s your choice, never to be forced upon you. The right to root for your team and your favorite player is buried deep down in your DNA. It’s your privilege and your prerogative in spite of what others think. That’s why this book is so important to me. It’s the culmination of the top 25 things I like, no love, about sports. My top 25 in Best About Sports includes names and teams, stadiums and sports, plus sights, sounds and even a little trash talk. Remember, it’s my book! My opinion. My prerogative. My top 25. MIKE – thee ultimate talking head on sports! Best About Sports is fun, witty and informative. Fans not will only enjoy the humor, but also learn something new about sports history. Plus, the unique sports comics that accompany each chapter cleverly capture the essence of the featured player, team, coach, play, sports expression, or in this case, what I find best about sports. As an added bonus, I always offer something for FREE in each of my sports comic books. See the back of this book for details. Check out my author profile on Amazon.com, follow me on Twitter, fan me on Facebook and subscribe to my podcast – MIKE on Sports! MIKE – thee ultimate talking head on sports! Chapter 25: Improbable Upsets Chapter 24: Undersized Athletes Chapter 23: Favorite Football Cliches Chapter 22: Favorite Baseball Cliches Chapter 21: Favorite Basketball Cliches Chapter 20: Iconic Sports Venues Chapter 19: Trash Talk Chapter 18: Top Sounds in Sports Chapter 17: Top Sights in Sports Chapter 16: Amen Corner Chapter 15: Penalty Box Chapter 14: Signature Shots Chapter 13: Heisman Trophy Chapter 12: In-Game Entertainment Chapter 11: Cameron Crazies Chapter 10: Epic Performances Chapter 9: Yogi-isms Chapter 8: Overcoming Stories Chapter 7: Sports Mascots Chapter 6: Zamboni Driver Chapter 5: Single Named Athletes Chapter 4: Anybody, but….. Chapter 3: Sports Nicknames Chapter 2: Who’s The Greatest? Chapter 1: March Madness Thank You & Affiliate Disclaimer FREE Books Podcast: MIKE on Sports! Meet the MIKE Makers Acknowledgements Centuries ago a physically overmatched shepherd boy named David squared off as an unlikely combatant on the battlefield against the feared, mighty Philistine warrior Goliath. Ever since David’s fateful encounter, people have rooted for implausible winners and yearned to see the improbable happen. Since that defining day in Israel, sports fans have also witnessed that inferior athleticism, undersized lineups or lack of star players have never daunted highly purposed teams, much like young David, with eyes fixed on making history. In spite of incredible odds stacked against them, teams of destiny have overcome immense obstacles, thus capturing the hearts of sports fans for generations. That’s why this chapter on improbable upsets is a fantastic way to kick off my FREE sports comic book Best About Sports. In this chapter, I feature three teams of destiny. Certainly, there are many more. But, these squads are my favorites. They won championships when no one gave them a chance. And, they etched their place in sports lore for their courageous, yet unexpected success. Here are my three favorite improbable upsets in sports. 1969 New York Jets Super Bowl III Victory – Broadway’s neon lights were never brighter than when New York Jets QB Joe Namath stole the spotlight during the team’s epic 1968 - 69 NFL season. Legendary QB Broadway Joe Namath talked big, played bigger and lived life even larger. He brazenly “guaranteed” a Super Bowl victory for his underdog New York Jets team against the vaunted and heavily favored Baltimore Colts. Amazingly, Namath led his highly motivated team to a stunning Super Bowl III upset victory in 1969 over the NFL’s best team, the Baltimore Colts, in Miami's famed Orange Bowl. The upset shocked football fans because many believed that no team from the former AFL could ever compete against any team from the NFL – until the Jets pulled off their improbable upset. 1985 Villanova NCAA Title Game - College basketball fans have called it the closest a team has ever come to playing a perfect game. Others have named it the greatest upset victory in the history of NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship Games. I’ve chosen that classic 1985 Villanova Wildcats improbable 66 – 64 NCAA title game victory over the deep and talented Georgetown Hoyas because the iconic win captivated college basketball fans. At #8, Villanova remains the lowest ranked seed to ever win an NCAA title. The team bested #9 seed Dayton Flyers, #7 seed UNC Tar Heels, #5 seed Memphis State Tigers and #2 seed Michigan Wolverines to advance to the Big Dance’s biggest party. On that special Monday night on April 1, 1985, Villanova played brilliantly against the previous year’s defending NCAA champion and dominating #1 overall seed in the field, allowing the Wildcats to come away with an improbable victory. Miracle on Ice in 1980 Winter Olympics - February 22, 1980 marked a national day of pride for Americans as it brought forth a miracle in the highly competitive arena of international sports. Known as the Miracle on Ice, an unlikely hockey victory took place at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY and lifted America out of its funk. The event birthed one of the most amazing upsets in sports. Team USA’s stunning upset over the heavily favored Soviet Union National Hockey Team still stands as one of the greatest victories in the history of team sports. This USA win also remains an unforgettable highlight of the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. Improbable upsets – without doubt, a great way to start a book named Best About Sports – because there are not too many things better in sports than highly unlikely victories by underdog teams. MIKE – thee ultimate talking head on sports! At #24 in my book Best About Sports is the subject that’s near and dear to my heart - successful undersized athletes. I’ve felt so strongly about the indomitable spirit of little guys and gals in sports that I penned a book entirely devoted to them. It’s simply called Favorite Undersized Athletes. The sports comic book allows me to refute a common misperception that “bigger is always better.” That’s because it’s NOT always true – especially in sports. If we used the same logic that “bigger is always better,” then we’d want bigger headaches, bigger holes in our pockets and even bigger cases of jock rash. Always a fan of the little guy, I can relate to shorter, smaller athletes. These mighty mites were probably overlooked as kids every time teams were picked on the asphalt, soccer pitch or football field. Being spurned when you know you can play becomes a tremendous impetus to improve and play really big - in spite of your shorter stature. As a little guy myself, I’ve personally been called a pipsqueak, a squirt and an ankle biter. But, I never allowed those names to squash my drive. They only propelled me to excel and prove others wrong. My book Favorite Undersized Athletes features a collection of stories chronicling my all-time 10 best little tikes whom others may have once overlooked because of their size. While reading it, you’ll admire the strength of a pocket-sized weightlifter with Herculean strength and marvel at the speed, quickness and basketball skills of the NBA’s shortest player ever. You’ll get a kick out of the “dwarfish” size soccer player’s magical skills and respect the brilliant career of an undrafted, undersized slot receiver who’s become a huge NFL star.